Better With Three
by Hobbit985
Summary: Series of short stories based around The Doctor 9th, Rose and Jack. Short, funny and hopefully enjoyable. :D
1. Fun With Snow

"Well let's think about this reasonably gentlemen." The Doctor said carefully holding Rose's hand tight. They were on a planet not far from Earth but about 500 billion years in the future. Captain Jack Harkness, who'd been travelling with them, had unwittingly pushed several buttons on the TARDIS console and all three had ended up at the receiving end of several sonic blasters held by four very angry Maxtors. Apparently the TARDIS had frightened their leader so much he'd fallen off a cliff.

"I mean, let's look at this from our point of view," chipped in Jack who felt he should resolve the situation since he'd created it. "We're smaller than you."

The tall, cloaked lizard type creatures were in fact exactly eight foot tall and looked very menacing. Rose shrank back slightly under their glare and the Doctor squeezed her hand gently.

"Yeah, and what's more you'll have to catch us first!" The Doctor grinned madly and began running, Rose following. Jack was stood frozen, not quite understanding that he should move.

"Jack! C'mon!" Rose called over her shoulder. Jack turned to the tall Maxtors and looked them straight in their lizardy faces.

"I'll just be going now…" Jack smiled and ran full pelt after the Doctor and Rose. The Maxtors started to glide after them hissing angrily.

"Ok, don't wish to hurry you, but if you could open the TARDIS quickly that'd be great." Jack said catching up to them as the Doctor fumbled with the key in his gloved hands. "Right. Kinda need to speed things up."

The Doctor managed to get the door open and the three disappeared inside just as the Maxtors reached them. The Doctor set the TARDIS in flight and removed his gloves. The other two had had to wrap up much warmer. Rose was wearing, gloves, scarf, coat, hat and four jumpers. Jack was even worse. He'd been wearing all that and four extra jumpers. And he still complained of being cold.

"You look like a flippin' snowman." The Doctor had commented gesturing at how fat Jack appeared when he had all the layers on.

"Aw, leave him alone. Just 'case he's pathetic when it comes to temperature doesn't mean he's totally pathetic." Rose replied smiling. Jack raised his eyebrows in mock outrage and the Doctor just grinned.

Rose and Jack were now flopped on the chair that the Doctor had built out of random parts he'd found lying around.

"So where next? Somewhere warm I think. Barcelona?" The Doctor suggested.

"Let's go somewhere warm, with rolling hills and a gentle summer breeze, where we can run through long grass and pick flowers and generally have a good time." Rose said dreamily.

"Rose, he might have a time machine but the Doctor can't work miracles. You've just described Utopia." Jack laughed. Rose scowled.

The Doctor grinned madly.

"It just so turns out I can work miracles Jack Harkness and funnily enough the planet Rose just described _is _called Utopia." The Doctor flicked several switches trying to stifle a laugh at the look on Jack's face. "I'd suggest you remove some of your layers. You'll be boiling."

Rose and Jack took off their extra clothes and dumped them round the console. The Doctor sighed.

"I thought I told you two I don't do domestic?" He asked kicking one of Rose's jumpers out the way.

"Yup, and we thought we'd told you we were going to ignore you." Jack replied smiling cheekily.

"Of course you did." The Doctor said exasperatedly. The TARDIS shuddered to a halt and Rose ran to open the doors.

"Oh, yes!" She cried. It was just as she'd imagined. Rolling hills of pure green, wild flowers growing wherever they pleased, a gentle breeze making her hair billow out behind her. The Doctor and Jack joined her.

"Why here then, Rose?" Asked the Doctor taking her hand.

"You'll see." She whispered. "Jack lie on the ground for me."

"Why?" Jack frowned.

"Just do it." Rose sighed. Jack complied.

"I don't see what-" Jack was cut off by Rose giving him a hard shove and sending him rolling down the hill. The Doctor and Rose stood at the top of the hill laughing at the sight of Jack as he rolled uncontrollably down the hill. Jack was screaming something about revenge but Rose was too out of breath from laughing to care.

"Maybe we should leave him here?" The Doctor suggested.

"Nah, where would the fun in that be?" Rose giggled running down the hill after Jack, her arms spread out, feeling like she could fly.


	2. Equal

"So what exactly are you doing?" Asked Rose watching the Doctor and Jack pottering about the consol.

"We, Rose Tyler, are fixing the main extrapolator of the TARDIS so that our journey's are now focused on using the main electro magnetic force of the TARDIS heart." Jack replied grinning almost as madly as the Doctor as they both ran around the consol tapping, pulling, pushing and fixing whatever they could reach.

Rose sighed and watched exasperatedly as the Doctor and Jack acted like two children with new toys.

"In English that would be?" Rose asked smiling as they dodged round each other, passing different tools back and forth without even having to speak to each other and all the time grinning like mad.

"Basically we're going to plug the heart of the TARDIS into the nearest electro-magnetic field and feed it all the energy it needs from that." The Doctor said giving Jack a significant look. Rose saw the look and sighed.

"Sorry, if I'm not as intelligent as you." She said slightly hurt. The Doctor and Jack both paused struggling not to laugh now. "It's not funny!"

Rose was close to tears now. They were always doing this. Never sharing their little jokes, always talking about stuff and sighing exasperatedly when she asked them to explain what it was.

"Oh, Rose." The Doctor bit his lip trying hard not to laugh. "We're sorry, it's just…"

"You look so cute when you pout." Jack finished the sentence unable to keep a straight face. Rose didn't find it funny. She stormed off in a huff.

"Rose! Rose, wait!" The Doctor called. "This was your fault."

Jack stared, open-mouthed, in shock.

"My fault? You were teasing her as well!" Jack replied standing with his hands on his hips.

"I told you when you first joined the TARDIS. I don't do domestic!" The Doctor said mimicking Jack's stance.

"Well, at this rate you're going to have a lot of domestic to deal with because unless you go and make it up with Rose now she's not gonna talk to you for days!"

"Why me? What about you?" The Doctor asked losing his patronising tone slightly.

"Rose can deal with my teasing, but she thinks the world of you. She hates it when you undermine her; treat her like a kid. She likes to think that you see her as more." Jack replied, all pretence of being shock lost.

"But I do see her as more!" The Doctor protested getting more and more worried.

"That's what you should be telling her, not me!" Jack said raising his eyebrows slightly.

"Right." The Doctor made to leave but paused in the doorway. "Don't touch anything!"

Jack rolled his eyes.

"Yes, master." He said in a silly voice. The Doctor left. "Honestly, doesn't do domestic. You couldn't get _more _domestic if you tried!"

The Doctor ran down the corridor then paused. He couldn't hear Rose but the TARDIS was telling him she was somewhere near by. Sure enough as he crept forward cautiously putting his ear to several doors, he heard a slight sobbing.

"Rose?" He opened the door where the sobbing had been loudest. It was almost completely dark in the room and the Doctor had to pause while his eyes adjusted.

Huddled in a corner hugging her knees, was Rose, crying bitterly.

"Rose, I didn't mean it." The Doctor said moving into the room. "We were only teasing."

"But you weren't, were you? I really am stupid and I know nothing. You and Jack are always laughing about some stupid thing to do with the TARDIS and when you tell me what it is I still don't understand." Rose moaned. The Doctor sat beside her.

"Rose, what's the difference between a lizard and a Maxtor?" The Doctor asked quietly taking one of her hands and linking his fingers through hers.

"One of them is a reptile and the other just has the appearance of one. The Maxtor is in fact a mammal that steals the scales from lizards and fashions themselves a suit." Rose sniffed.

"You're telling me you don't know anything? You know more than you think Rose. Besides, before I met you I had no idea how you used a washing machine!" The Doctor chuckled. Rose laughed slightly too.

"Was that a giggle?" The Doctor asked perking up.

"No." Rose replied trying to keep a straight face, but how could she stay mad at her Doctor?

"It was, wasn't it?" The Doctor said tickling her. "C'mon, you know you want to laugh!"

Rose stood up squirming under the terrible torture of tickles.

"No… Doctor… ha, ha, ha… no stop it! Ha, ha, ha!" Rose laughed trying to run away. "Jack! Help!"

Jack came running but instead of helping Rose joined the Doctor.

"You evil git!" Rose cried out trying desperately to get away. Neither man relented until Rose gasped in pain, clutching her stomach.

"Rose? Rose are you ok?" They asked in unison looking worried.

Rose looked up smiling.

"Fooled you!" She said tickling the Doctor. Jack shrugged and joined Rose.

"You know," the Doctor began in between laughing. "Jack seems to be the only one hasn't been tickled."

"You'll have to catch me first!" He cried darting out the door. Rose made to follow him with the Doctor just behind. But in the doorway the Doctor grabbed Rose's hand.

"Rose. I just want you to know. You will always be my equal, no matter how much, or how little you know about the universe." The Doctor smiled.

"I know." Rose replied. She looked down the hallway to see Jack pulling faces. She looked back at the Doctor an evil grin spreading across her face. "Let's get Jack."

"Fantastic."


	3. Truth Or Dare

"Ok, the TARDIS is going to need at least four hours to power up and the planet we're on consists of desert and not much else." The Doctor said slightly annoyed. "Make yourselves comfortable. We're not moving for a while."

"Couldn't you have picked another planet to build up power from? Like one that actually has something to do on it?" Asked Jack in a bored tone. He was lying on his stomach over the double chair in the TARDIS control room staring lazily at the Doctor as he pottered around fixing little things here and there.

"Look, the TARDIS is alive, right? So she has a personality." The Doctor said to Jack without turning to look at him.

"Your point?" Jack smiled to himself knowing that his "dumb-act" was driving the Doctor up the wall.

"The TARDIS is temperamental ok? She chooses the planet she's going to power up on and once the TARDIS has made a decision it's very hard to make her change her mind." The Doctor replied through gritted teeth. "By the way, were you born stupid Jack Harkness or do you practise?"

"Oi!" Jack said scowling. "Don't insult the human race just because you're uptight!"

"I was referring to you alone." The Doctor turned and smiled down at Jack.

"Oh really? Well you'll pay for that!" Jack said. The Doctor looked at him expectantly.

"Well?" Still Jack did not move.

"Ok, rephrase. You'll pay for that when I can muster up the energy to move." Jack lay his head on his arms and looked across at Rose who was sat on the wire mesh floor of the control room playing patience with a pack of cards she'd found.

"If you to are quite done arguing we could always play a game." Rose said, not looking up from the cards. She had managed to complete the clock four times now and had the sneaking suspicion that the TARDIS had somehow helped her so she was getting rather bored of it.

"Like what?" Asked Jack as the Doctor leaned against the control panel and sighed.

"It's not going to be one of those silly human party games, like spin-the-bottle is it?" The Doctor looked down at Rose as she packed away the cards.

"Well, depends on whether you think 'Truth or Dare' is a 'silly human party game'!" Rose laughed.

"Ooh! I love that game! I'll go first!" Jack said standing up rather quickly and almost toppling over. The Doctor caught his arm.

"Careful!" He said.

"Thanks. I thought I was going to break something then." Jack replied as the Doctor let him go.

"Yeah! Like my magnificent time machine!" Jack gave the Doctor a dirty look.

"Oh, ha ha." Rose too stood up.

"Look are we playing or not?" She put her hands on her hips and stared at the pair.

"Well, we've nothing better to do." Jack said copying her stance and making Rose blush. "Ok, Doctor, truth or dare?"

The Doctor sighed. He knew that either way Jack would think of something evil for him to tell or do.

"Truth." He replied after a moments pause.

"Aww. You're no fun. Ok, have you ever kissed a girl of a different species?" Jack smiled at him with a rather evil look on his face. The Doctor thought back to a previous companion. Leela.

"Yes." The Doctor didn't meet Rose's eye as he answered. Jack looked at Rose though and saw that she was obviously trying to hide any emotion she felt.

"Ok, Jack." Rose said swallowing hard. "Truth or Dare?"

"Dare!" Jack said smiling. The Doctor still wouldn't look at Rose but she chose to ignore this.

"I dare you to…" Rose paused as she though. "Stand on your hands!"

Jack bent down and put his hands underneath his feet.

"There!" He stuck his tongue out at Rose.

"You cheater!" Rose laughed.

"Rose, truth or dare?" The Doctor asked.

"Dare." Rose replied with a wry smile.

"Dare you to find a toilet brush in the TARDIS!" The Doctor said smiling.

"That's random but ok." Rose went off and left Jack and the Doctor with nothing to do but twiddle their thumbs.

Rose came running back and handed the toilet brush to the Doctor.

"You obviously don't use it very often." Rose said matter-of-factly.

"Ewwww!" Jack pulled a face.

"Right Doctor, truth or Dare?" Rose asked.

"Truth." He sighed.

"Oh come on! You're the only one who hasn't done a dare!" Jack said rather loudly.

"Fine, dare." The Doctor didn't look at Rose. He couldn't bring himself to and couldn't understand why.

"I dare you to act like a monkey!" Rose giggled. The Doctor looked at her painfully. He really didn't want to make a fool of himself.

"You're so going to pay for this Rose Tyler!" The Doctor said as he began to monkey around making funny "ooh ooh" noises. Jack and Rose were in hysterics.

"Ok ok. Fun time over. Jack your turn to do Rose."

"Ok, Rose, truth or dare?"

"Dare!" Rose managed to say in between laughs.

"I dare you to kiss the Doctor." The effect of these seven words was immense. Rose stopped laughing and the Doctor looked up sharply. The TARDIS was completely silent for several seconds before Jack spoke.

"Are you chicken?" He started making chicken noises and flapping his arms like a bird.

"No!" Rose scowled walked over to the Doctor and pulled him for a kiss. Jack made a wolf-whistle and Rose let go of the Doctor blushing.

"Right, for that, Jack Harkness, _you _can kiss the Doctor!" Rose said, an evil grin spreading over her red face.

"What? It's not your turn!" Jack protested.

"Do it or you forfeit the game!" Rose said. The Doctor looked slightly alarmed at the thought of receiving a kiss from both his companions but didn't say anything. Jack completed his dare and when he looked back at Rose was horrified to see she had her phone out and had taken a picture.

"Oh, the blackmail I can use this for." She laughed as Jack chased her round the console.


	4. Lost

**Author's note: This story is a little more angsty. It is based on the t.v. show "Lost" but contains no spoilers for future episodes. However there are certain things from past episodes. Enjoy.**

Rose had never felt so alone in her life. The Doctor and Jack had promised that nothing would happen to her, and if she did get kidnapped then they would rescue her.

"Fat, lot of use that was." Rose muttered to herself. "Been stuck in this damn cage in the rain, in the middle of a jungle, in the middle of flippin' nowhere for four hours and NO ONE EVEN CARES!"

Birds took off out of the tree's in fright at Rose's shouted words. She kicked the side of the cage in anger. That was when she heard it again. The roar of the metal tripod that she'd run away from earlier. By the look of it, it had been designed to look and work like the aliens in "War of the Worlds". Rose knew it was coming closer and just hoped it wouldn't find her.

A twig snapped behind her and she turned to see a man stood between the trees. It was odd, since everything else that was here, wasn't human.

"Oh thank goodness! Can you help me? These stupid aliens trapped me and now one of those metal things is heading this way." Rose blurted out as quickly as she could. The man took a few steps forward but said nothing. His brown hair was plastered to his head by the rain and his eyes were incredibly dark. So dark in fact that they looked black.

"It wasn't the aliens who trapped you." The man hissed stepping closer to the cage. Rose backed away. "It was me. I want the Doctor and you're going to bring him to me!"

Rose's eyes widened in terror. The man glanced up and so did Rose to see what he was looking at. She gulped as she noticed for the first time the sheet of spikes hanging dangerously above the cage.

"Scream Rose Tyler. If you don't, you die. If you do, he dies. Your choice." The man backed off again and took hold of the rope that was keeping the spikes from dropping on her.

Rose suddenly felt very small inside her blue waterproof. They'd only come to this planet for this sap stuff the Doctor needed for the TARDIS and once again they'd ended up fighting for their lives, except this time it looked like they really would die.

"Doctor! Jack!" Rose shouted as loud as she could. The monster in the jungle roared again and Rose only hoped that it wasn't killing the Doctor and Jack. She had to think fast. There must be someway of warning the Doctor before he came to her, but she needed to do it without the scary guy behind her realising.

"DOCTOR! JACK!" She called again, this time louder. "THE BAD WOLF'S GOT ME!"

The man behind her hissed with impatience. Rose prayed that the Doctor and Jack were on their way. Then she caught sight of a leather jacket disappearing round the side of the clearing, in the trees. The monster roared again, this time from somewhere very close by.

Suddenly the Doctor and Jack sprang out of nowhere and seized the man holding the spikes above Rose.

"Careful!" She squealed as the spikes dropped an inch closer. But Jack grabbed the rope before it even came close to the cage. The Doctor struggled alone with the man who'd captured Rose and eventually managed to tie him to a tree with a little help from some vines and the Sonic Screwdriver.

"You always have to wander off don't you?" The Doctor said rather nastily as the monster stomped closer.

"Me?" Rose asked outraged as the Doctor examined the cage. "You were the one that went swanning off for sap!"

"Yeah and I said stay put, why don't you ever listen?" The Doctor put the Sonic Screwdriver to the bars of the cage and began to try and snap the bamboo they were made of.

"I do listen! But you keep changing the rules. One day you're grateful I wander off because I save your life and the next you have a go at me just because some psycho locks me up!" Rose spat back. Jack watched the pair argue and was surprised to see how alike they were. They were both very stubborn and even though the Doctor's eyes were blue and Rose's were brow, they still burnt the same intense fire when they were angry or in danger.

"Listen, I'd love for you two to have this argument all day, but those spikes are really heavy and the rope is slipping through my hands so if you could hurry up that'd be great." Jack said interrupting the shouting pair.

"ALRIGHT!" The Doctor and Rose shouted back in unison. Jack frowned. The Doctor had said when he'd first joined them on the TARDIS that he didn't do domestic, but somehow Jack didn't think you could get _more_ domestic even if you tried.

The Doctor had only managed to disintegrate two bars when Jack started to slip and the monster came ever closer.

"Rose! Get out of there!" Jack called as the heavy rope began to drag him through the mud. Rose carefully navigated her way between the bars but just couldn't get her second leg through.

"I'm stuck!" She muttered.

"Trust you." The Doctor said angrily as he tried to pull Rose free.

"Watch out!" Jack called as he let go of the spikes.

They came crashing down and drowned out Rose's scream of pain and one shot through her leg. Jack ran over to try and help the Doctor free Rose before the tripod found them.

"Excellent Jack. Well done. Now we're all gonna die!"

"Don't say all like that it makes it sound like you were going to leave me!" Rose hissed in pain. Jack could see trees very close by starting to move as the tripod came nearer.

"What makes you think I wouldn't have?" The Doctor replied. All three of them knew it was a bad move the minute he'd said it. Rose's eyes widened and tears began to fall down her face along with the rain.

"Doctor I'll lift the spikes and you pull Rose out, ok?" Jack said. The Doctor nodded. "One, two, THREE!"

In one swift movement they pulled Rose out and the Doctor, realising she wouldn't be able to walk, picked her up and carried her.

"C'mon Jack, that tripod's gonna be upon us any minute. Back to the TARDIS."

Jack ran alongside the Doctor who, though he was carrying Rose, still managed to run at top speed. The burst out of the tree's and made it to the TARDIS. Jack pulled the key out of the Doctor's pocket and all three burst into the TARDIS dripping wet and covered in mud.

The Doctor walked down the corridor and put Rose on one of the beds in the sickbay.

"Jack take care of Rose, while I put the TARDIS in flight." The Doctor said not glancing at either of them.

"Why don't I-?" Jack began but the Doctor shot him a look that said, _"Don't ask questions."_

Jack ripped Rose's left trouser leg slightly so he could see the wound and tend to it.

An hour later all three of them were out of their sopping clothes and Jack and Rose were in pyjama's. After bandaging her leg, Jack had helped Rose into the control room and sat her in the double chair with several cushions propping up her leg. None of them spoke but Jack could've sworn that if he'd tried he would've been able to cut the air with a knife. The tension was so high, it was making his head hurt.

"I suppose you want to go home now?" The Doctor said in a voice that was neither angry nor gentle.

Rose looked up, frowning and her eyes threatening tears again.

"You just don't get it do you?" She said her voice clearly stating that the Doctor had made a bad move. "Why do you think I came looking for you?"

"Because you're capture prone?" The Doctor asked ignoring the tone of voice Rose was using.

"Haven't you ever wondered why I said yes to travelling with you? Even though you never open up, never tell me anything, never have a proper conversation with me." Rose asked incredulously.

"No. I just thought you preferred a life of adventure and I do open up, I do tell you stuff and I do have proper conversations with you." The Doctor replied still not looking up.

"You stupid prat." Was all Rose could say. "So it never occurred to that perhaps the reason I wanted to travel, was you? That I wanted to get to know the one alien who was willing to show me all those things? That maybe, just maybe, I'd found a friend I could rely on? No obviously you never thought about it at all, the only thing you care about is yourself."

Jack could see how horribly this conversation was going to end and he had to put a stop to it.

"Enough already. For goodness sakes Doctor can't you what Rose is trying to tell you? And Rose cut the Doctor some slack he's not used to all this domestic stuff." Jack burst out. The silence that followed was the loudest Jack had ever heard.

"I'm sorry Rose. I do care about you and I have thought about it," the Doctor said finally looking up and catching Rose's gaze.

"I know. I don't mean to have a go at you. I just wish you'd open up occasionally."

The pair held each other's gaze for a moment and Jack was sure he could hear the TARDIS singing in the background.

Rose flung her arms round the Doctor and he hugged her back, gesturing for Jack to join them.

"Ah! Group hug!" Jack joked making them all laugh.


	5. Mickey And Love

The TARDIS had landed in twenty first century LONDON to power up and this meant Rose had time to go and see her Mum and Mickey again. She had only just stepped out the TARDIS when both ran over and almost knocked her down as they hugged her.

"Rose!" Jackie cried as she hugged her daughter for the first time in a month. "My sweetheart. How are you?"

"I'm fine Mum." Rose laughed. Jack and the Doctor came out the TARDIS and watched the happy reunion.

"How come I never get any of that?" Jack asked the Doctor as Jackie let go of Rose, only to have Mickey hug her. Jack has asked the same question some months previously and the Doctor had to pause for a second and think of a new witty comeback.

"When I start doing domestic, I'll let you know." The Doctor smiled a Jack who pulled a face.

"Ha, ha. Very funny," Jack replied sarcastically.

The five of them went up to Jackie's flat for a cup of tea since they had so much time to spare. However they returned to the TARDIS when Jackie suggested she get Rose's baby pictures out.

Some time later, after Jackie had returned to the flat making Rose promise to say goodbye before she left, Jack was trying to explain something to Mickey that he obviously didn't understand.

"I see you haven't taught flyboy here to speak English." Mickey said nodding at Rose. Rose smiled and Jack turned to the Doctor who was fixing something on the underside of the console.

"You were right, he's an idiot." Jack said. The Doctor popped his head up through the floor.

"Told you. Rickey the idiot." Rose laughed as she saw the look on Mickey's face.

"My name's Mickey!" He said through clenched teeth.

"Ignore him, he's winding you up!" Rose said standing between Mickey and the Doctor for fear that Mickey might start a fight.

"Why do you always stick up for him?" Mickey asked slightly downtrodden.

"I'm not, I was just saying-"

"You are, you always do! Why can't you stick up for me for once?" Mickey asked. Jack wandered round to the opposite side of the TARDIS, sensing an impending argument. The Doctor returned to working underneath the console.

"I do stick up for you!" Rose protested not understanding why Mickey was so upset all of a sudden.

"Not the way you stick up for _him_." Rose flinched at the way Mickey put emphasis on the last word. "It's because you love him, isn't it?"

The whole TARDIS suddenly seemed to go very quiet. Even Jack paused what he was doing to look at the quarrelling pair.

"Get out." Rose hissed. She could deal with Mickey hating her for what she'd done, but this time he'd gone too far.

"What? Why?" Asked Mickey suddenly confused but unaware he'd pushed his luck too much.

"Get out. Now!" Rose shouted at him. "If you think I hate you so much then bog off, go back to whatever matters to you!"

Mickey opened and closed his mouth for several seconds.

"Fine." He said quietly. "Fine. I can see that you obviously don't like to admit that you're in love with the Doctor so I'll just go shall I. I'll leave you with flyboy and boat captain here."

As Mickey slammed the TARDIS door shut the Doctor and Jack stared in disbeilif at the fact that Mickey had insulted them.

"Don't say anything Doctor." Rose warned catching his eye.

"I wasn't going to!" The Doctor said holding up his hands.

"What was that all about anyway?" Asked Jack pretending not to have heard the conversation. Rose just glared at him, her eyes threatening tears. "Oh, sorry."

Rose stormed off into the depths of the TARDIS leaving Jack and the Doctor to continue tinkering.

"You know," began Jack.

"Not a word." The Doctor said firmly, knowing exactly what the captain was thinking.

"Well, if Rose is feeling bad because of the whole Mickey thing you should go cheer her up. After all you were the centre of that argument!" Jack replied.

The Doctor sighed and hauled himself out of the floor. It wouldn't be the first time he'd had to go searching for Rose.

He found her hiding in the library, scouring the shelves for something.

"What're you looking for?" He asked following her down the isle's.

"Nothing in particular. Just something to take my mind of…" Rose trailed off. The Doctor understood anyway, the TARDIS was warning him not to annoy her.

"Listen, I did mean to tease Mickey. If I'd realised how badly…"

"It wasn't your fault," Rose jumped in quickly. "Mickey just can't take a joke."

The Doctor watched Rose for a moment trying to decide whether this was a way of her telling him to go away or not. Rose could be funny like that sometimes.

"Is it true?" The Doctor asked, hoping that she didn't go off on one.

"Is what true?" Rose looked confused for a second and then realisation dawned on her face. She shifted uncomfortably. "Mickey says a lot of things when he's angry."

The Doctor knew Rose was lying and took her hands in his, forcing her to look at him.

"Is it true?" He asked her gently. She couldn't take her eye of is. Those deep pools of crystal blue that she could get lost in for hours, if she only had the chance.

"Yes." She mumbled. Rose looked down at her feet, her face burning a deep shade of red.

"That's all I wanted to know." The Doctor said, stroking her hands gently. "I can live with it."

Rose's hear sank. She'd hoped, somewhere deep down, the Doctor might hav felt the same.

"So, fancy saying goodbye to your Mum?" He asked suddenly back to his eccentric self.

"Huh?" Asked Rose looking up and following the Doctor out of the library.

"We've got an adventure to go on and if my calculations are correct, the TARDIS should be about ready."

Rose smiled. This was the reason she loved the Doctor.


	6. Pure Shores

"So, where do you want to go today?" Asked the Doctor as he flicked switches on the TARDIS console.

"Surprise us!" Rose said after a moments thought.

"Hey! It was my turn to pick!" Jack moaned from his position lounging on the chair.

"No way! It's my turn!" Rose scowled at Jack.

"We won't go anywhere if you two keep fighting!" The Doctor warned.

"Sorry," Rose said quickly.

"Sorry, Doc," muttered Jack.

"Right, I know just the place to take you." He started to set the controls of the TARDIS into action.

The TARDIS hummed and juddered and the column in the middle began to rise and fall steadily. It was almost mesmerising to watch. Rose wandered about twisting knobs and pushing buttons the way the Doctor had instructed her on previous occasions.

The TARDIS stopped rather suddenly and Rose ran to open the doors.

"Wow," She breathed looking out.

"What, what?" Asked Jack getting up and joining her.

Stretching out for miles in front of them was a beach of pure gold sand. The sea was a deep intense blue and seemed somehow familiar, though Rose had never been here before.

The three of them stepped out onto the sand and looked about.

"Wow," Rose breathed again. "It's beautiful."

The trio spent hours sat on the sand, basking in the sun and talking. Rose felt like she could stay there forever. She glanced out at the sea gain and then back at the Doctor. She suddenly realised why the sea seemed so familiar. It was the same deep intense blue as the Doctor's eyes. Eyes she wished she could get lost in for hours. She sighed.

"How about we play a game?" Jack suggested.

"Like what?" Asked the Doctor suspiciously. He had good reason to be suspicious. Jack's games weren't exactly… ahem hygienic.

"Oh, Doctor!" Jack said disgusted. "Nothing like that! No, I was thinking maybe 'Hide And Seek' in the long grass up there."

Jack nodded up the sand towards a grassy verge that seemed to go on for as long as the beach and sea.

"You are such a child, but ok." The Doctor grinned. "You're counting though!"

The Doctor ran off into the long grass, Rose following closely behind. They heard Jack running after them, shouting obscenities. Rose ducked down and crawled through the grass chuckling to herself. She glanced behind her and as she did so, she ran into something.

The Doctor caught her and pressed a finger to his lips. Rose put a hand over her to stop herself from laughing. They sat side by side in the long grass, listening as Jack wandered further and further away trying to find them.

"Are you ok?" Whispered the Doctor as soon as Jack was out of earshot.

"Yeah," Rose nodded and crossed her legs. "How long do you reckon it'll take for him to find us?"

"Knowing Jack, a long time." The Doctor smiled, not his usual manic smile, but a soft warming one that made Rose melt. She stretched out and lay down, the Doctor mimicking her.

Jack came past, but didn't find them. The pair in the grass were each leaning on an elbow so their heads weren't on the hard floor.

"Rose," The Doctor began looking directly at her. "Are you sure you're ok? It's just; recently you've seemed a bit… distracted."

Rose knew what he meant. Ever since she had admitted her feelings she'd found it harder not to sink into a stupor of her own thoughts.

"Nah, I'm fine." Rose smiled. The Doctor watched her closely.

"You're lying." He smiled. "TARDIS inside your head, remember. You can't lie to me."

"You can read my mind?" Asked Rose slightly surprised.

"Yeah," the Doctor nodded. "Think of something, anything."

"Ok," Rose thought hard. She picked something she knew the Doctor would never get.

"Why on earth are you thinking about a sock that you left at your mums?" Asked the Doctor laughing. Rose stared open mouthed.

"That's not fair." She moaned.

"You can do it to. Look, concentrate on me and read my thoughts." The Doctor stared at her and Rose concentrated hard.

"You're wondering how long it'll take for Jack to find us." Rose smiled.

"Correct. Now you're thinking that it'd be funny not to tell him about this and read his mind." The Doctor's eyes lit up.

"Bingo. Ok, you are thinking about…" Rose frowned. "You're wondering why I won't tell you that I haven't got over the incident a few weeks ago."

"You wish that I felt the same way about you…" The smile's slipped from both their faces.

"You really want to tell me everything will be ok but you can't because you're scared of hurting me."

"You want to close the gap between us and kiss me…" The Doctor whispered. Both realised suddenly that their noses were an inch from the others.

It was Rose who made the executive decision and closed the gap. Their lips met briefly but Rose pulled away when she realised what she'd just done.

Jack came through the grass just then.

"Ha! Found you!" The pair just stared at each other.

Later that night Rose lay awake in bed replaying that moment over and over in her head. She had kissed the Doctor. She'd done the one thing she'd been dying to for weeks.

She rolled onto her side and looked towards the doorway. The Doctor usually stood there watching her sleep but tonight he was in the control room tinkering. She could hear him, even from here.

Rose got up and padded barefoot towards the control room. She paused in the doorway and watched the Doctor fiddle with buttons and switches.

"Alright, Rose?" He asked without looking up. Rose was slightly taken aback. She hadn't realised the Doctor knew she was there.

"I… couldn't sleep." She mumbled walking up the ramp in her pyjamas. The Doctor was still wearing his day clothes. He still had his leather jacket on and Rose wondered whether he ever took it off.

"I know. I read your mind." He looked up and smiled at her. She took a tentative step forward.

"Sorry about what happened earlier." She whispered. The Doctor looked up and wandered over to her. He took her hands in his and looked down right into her eyes.

"What do you have to be sorry about?" Asked the Doctor leaning down and planting another kiss on her lips.

Jack stood in the doorway open mouthed.

"So that's what you were doing earlier!" He said. He sounded almost triumphant.

The pair broke the kiss and looked over at Jack. Both had a manic grin on their face.

"Fantastic!" said all three in unison.


	7. Christmas Presents

_AN: Sorry I haven't done one of these for so long. Here's one to make you laugh and confuse you at the same time. A Christmas one in the middle of June. Perfect. :D_

Rose grinned as she strung up another piece of tinsel. The Doctor had had the idea that they celebrate Christmas in the TARDIS since Rose had been away from home for so long and hadn't really had any kind of proper holiday.

Jack had found an old CD player in the TARDIS and had stuck on a load of Christmas songs. They even had a tree in one corner of the TARDIS, which the Doctor had decorated in baubaules. After that the Doctor had disappeared into the TARDIS to find food and stuff.

"It's wonky!" Jack called, startling Rose and almost causing her to topple of the ladder.

"It doesn't matter!" Rose shouted back, chucking a few tinsel pieces at Jack.

"The Doctor'll notice though!" Jack said grinning. Rose climbed down the ladder and inspected the walls and ceilings. It was a mess of colour and sparkles.

"Yup. Definitely Christmas." She said to herself.

"The Doctor is going to kill us!" Jack said, standing behind her. Rose turned to look at him.

"Why?"

"We've turned domestic!" He said, tying some tinsel like a sweatband around his head. He looked like a Christmas tree himself.

"Oh ha ha!" Rose said, trying not to laugh at how funny Jack looked. "It was his idea!"

"Yes, but I didn't realise what you were going to do to the TARDIS!" The Doctor said wandering up the ramp and grinning.

"D'you like it?" Rose asked.

"Like it? It's fantastic!" The Doctor said, then he spotted Jack. "This decoration is a bit ugly though, perhaps I ought to throw it?"

Jack scowled.

"Funny." He muttered rolling his eyes. The Doctor pulled a face behind Jack's back, causing Rose to crease up.

"God, you're like children!" Jack said, though he was smiling now too.

"You can talk!" The Doctor said chuckling. "You're the one who suggested we get presents for each other!"

"Well it's not Christmas if you don't get presents!" Jack retorted.

"I can do Christmas without presents!" The Doctor said grinning mischievously.

"Oh really?" Asked Jack raising an eyebrow. "It doesn't happen to have the wording 'dancing' in it does it?"

"Maybe," the Doctor said knowing he'd dare to go further than Jack ever would. Rose giggled.

"That's enough you two," She said sternly, though she was struggling not to laugh. "I don't want to catch you kissing under the mistletoe!"

The Doctor turned to her.

"Jealous?" He asked. Rose was taken aback by the question, instantly turning pink.

"No," she mumbled not meeting his gaze.

"Ok," he said dropping it.

The three of them spent the rest of the day hanging up whatever left over decorations they had. By the end of it, Jack wasn't the only one covered in tinsel and glitter and sequins.

Rose and the Doctor had had a bit of a fight and ended up gluing stuff to each other. Jack had joined in when he'd seen what they were doing, but soon had to stop when they glued him to the wall.

They'd had to spend several minutes freeing Jack. After that the Doctor had bought out all the Christmassy food he had and they sat down for a picnic.

"We should do this more often," Jack said piling his plate high.

"Greedy," Rose said, stuffing a mince pie in his mouth. Jack just grinned and swallowed it.

"Jack, please don't get crumbs all over my magnificent Time ship," The Doctor said looking at him disgustedly.

"She stuffed the pie in my mouth!" He complained pointing at Rose.

"Well Rose is different," the Doctor said dismissively.

"Oh yeah?" Jack asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," the Doctor replied.

"Oh god," Rose said looking from one to the other.

"What?" Asked the Doctor and Jack worriedly in unison.

"You've gone domestic!" She laughed at the Doctor. He grimaced.

"Only for you," he said pretending that he wasn't enjoying himself.

The pair looked at each other for a moment and then turned back to Jack in disgust when he made kissing noises.

"Grow up Jack," Rose said.

Jack simply stuck his tongue out.

"Jack if you do that again I'll weld your tongue to the console," The Doctor said grinning in a way that said he wasn't joking. Jack quickly retracted his tongue.

The three of them finished of their Christmas dinner and as the Doctor was stuffing the rubbish in a bow he found a leftover decoration. Pulling out he frowned at the small plant.

"Why didn't you put the mistletoe up?" He asked the other two hanging the plant over the door.

Jack groaned.

"Don't stand in the doorway!" He said.

"Why?" asked the Doctor confused.

"Because one of us will have to kiss you!" Jack said. "It's the rules."

"What rules?" The Doctor asked stepping away from the mistletoe subconsciously.

"Christmas rules! You can't disobey them!" Jack said.

"I think you've had to much sherry," the Doctor said. "Off to bed the pair of you."

"Aww," Rose said looking a little downcast. "I wasn't being a prat, why'd I have to go?"

"Father Christmas doesn't come if you're awake," the Doctor said grinning as Jack and Rose bolted for their rooms. He shook his head laughing softly. "Children."

Later that night when the TARDIS ha dimmed its lights and the Doctor was tinkering away n the console room, he suddenly got the strangest feeling that someone was watching him. Turning he jumped finding himself face to face with Rose.

"Blimey, Rose!" He said quietly. "You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Sorry," Rose said blushing. She took a few steps backwards. "I just came to say thanks for letting us have Christmas."

"That's ok," the Doctor chuckled softly. Rose took another step backwards so she was in the doorway.

"I umm thought I should give you your present now," she whispered. The Doctor looked up and saw she was gesturing for him to come to her. He walked towards her and grinned manically.

"What do I get then?" He asked. It was only as the words escaped his lips that he remembered what they were standing under.

"This," Rose said grinning back and kissing him. The Doctor decided this was the best present he'd ever received as he melted into Rose unaware of anything but the girl in front of him.


	8. Driving Lessons

"And if we end up hurtling towards the centre of some sun you press which button?" The Doctor asked.

He was teaching Jack and Rose how to fly the TARDIS. He wouldn't have bothered normally, but since the incident where he lost the use of his arms the Doctor decided his two companions had better learn how to fly the time ship without causing him to have a hearts attack.

"The blue one next to the time rotor?" Jack suggested, looking bemused and making it very obvious that he had paid attention for all of naught point two seconds.

"The red one next to the vortex loop!" Rose interjected throwing Jack a 'could the question be easier?' look.

"Right you are, Rose," the Doctor grinned. He found extremely amusing how quickly Rose seemed to pick up the instructions and how indignant Jack seemed to get each time she answered a question correctly.

"Well that's not fair!" Jack protested as if he could hear the Doctor's thoughts.

"Why not?" The Doctor asked, standing up and leaning against the console.

"Because Rose has been stood next to the button or switch every time!" Jack folded his arms and pouted.

"Alright then, between you, fly us back to Earth," the Doctor said. "I'll judge you both on how well you work as a team, and how close to the destination you get."

Rose grinned, looking up for the challenge but Jack looked reluctant.

"We'll have to see her mother if we land on Earth," he said.

"Oh yeah I didn't think of that," the Doctor flicked a few switches. "There you go, random destination. Go ahead."

Rose jumped into action knowing exactly what to push when and dancing round the console like a pro. Jack was a little slower, but managed to do everything correctly and even take it in turns to give orders to the other person.

The Doctor was impressed and a little annoyed that the pair managed to fly and land the TARDIS without so much a hiccup.

"I'm knocking off a point for an uneventful ride," the Doctor scowled.

"Oh what?!" Jack gave him a disgruntled look and Rose giggled at the sight of the pair of them.

"Never mind that! Let's see where we are!" She darted for the door, the other two following after her quickly.

They stepped out onto a planet with burnt orange ground a purple sky. Rose was taken aback slightly when she was greeted by humans.

"Hello, my name is Takk," the first, a young male of Rose's age said, stepping forward and holding out his hand.

He was eyeing up Rose and the Doctor and Jack instantly jumped in between them.

"I'm the Doctor,"

"And I'm Jack," the pair glared menacingly until Takk was forced to introduce the rest of his family.

It didn't take long for them to be invited back to the camp where Takk and his family lived. The three of them were asked to stay for dinner and though Jack and the Doctor, both had objections, Rose quickly put them straight.

"We'd love to!" She said, shooting looks at the other two. "We'd only have to eat with my mother otherwise."

Jack stared open mouthed and the Doctor rolled his eyes. Rose had just pulled her usual 'if-you-don't-agree-we-go-home-to-my-mother' trick. It was times like this that all three of them knew exactly who wore the trousers in their relationship.

In the end they stayed after dinner as well. The Doctor was getting increasingly annoyed by the end of it. Jack had gone off with Takk's brother and Takk was still talking to Rose. He hated domestic enough as it was, but when someone was trying to chat up Rose, his Rose at that, well he couldn't sit and just watch it.

The Doctor stood up and carefully weaved his way through the crowd of onlookers who'd been approaching him all evening and of which he'd turned down every one. He headed towards Rose and paused a few feet away, suddenly shy. As much as he wanted to talk to her, he knew his jealousy was no reason to stop her having fun.

Sighing he turned to go and find Jack to poke fun at him, when something caught his hand. Glancing back he saw Rose, weaving her fingers through his.

"Hello," she said, smiling. "Not having much fun?"

"It's alright," the Doctor shrugged.

"Bit domestic?" Rose asked, knowing the Doctor all too well.

"Yeah," he nodded.

"Well, now that I have successfully managed to convince Takk that there are only two men I want n my life, we can go if you want," Rose continued.

The Doctor smiled slightly to himself.

"We might have a bit of trouble there," the Doctor said in mock seriousness.

"Why?" Asked Rose trying to keep a straight face.

"Well," the Doctor pulled Rose through the crowd just to the edge of a quiet and almost deserted corner.

Jack was sat with Takk's brother, but they appeared to have given up on conversation altogether.

"You'll have to tear Jack off Than first," the Doctor grinned.


End file.
